


No Scream and Shout

by Tru_tru



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Dark Betty Character Study, Drug Use, Emotional Abuse, F/F, F/M, Mental Health Issues, Murder, Senior year, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, Violent Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:54:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25867741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tru_tru/pseuds/Tru_tru
Summary: All American girl next door Betty Cooper looks like she has it all- perfect grades, perfect family, perfect life. But behind the scenes a storm rages within her- a darkness that has been growing for years now- and with the pressures of senior year and college looming, the dam is about to break.Jughead, Southside Serpent Prince and his crew were doing just fine- until some bureaucratic bullshit resulted in the shut down of Southside high. Now he and his friends are transplanted to Riverdale High and are determined to make their senior year a memorable one. When the two meet, the connection is instant, and Jughead is determined to solve the mystery that is Betty Cooper.That is...until someone shows up dead.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, Joaquin DeSantos/Kevin Keller
Comments: 16
Kudos: 74





	1. I Don't Care What They Say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title and song lyrics from 'No Scream and Shout' by Lucy Love

_Prologue_

Jughead slammed his graffiti-covered locker shut for the last time and took a look around the cramped, smoke-filled halls of Southside High. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about the old place shutting down after all these years. His father had gone to high school here, and his father before him. Jughead wasn’t exactly about to defend the institution, which offered about all the academic rigor of a state prison, still, it was the end of an era.

“Aw now, don’t get all nostalgic on me now, Jug.” Toni was standing next to him, her own locker already packed up. He snorted.

“Come on- we had some good times here, didn’t we?” Toni rolled her eyes.

“Getting stoned in the Red and Black office and ranting about DB Cooper may have been your idea of a good time, but I for one will welcome a change of scenery. And Riverdale High doesn’t sound so bad- I might finally find some girls to hang out with who have higher aspirations than being a biker’s arm candy.”

Just then Sweet Pea swooped in.

“What, you’d ditch the Serpents?” He asked.

“Not _ditch,”_ She clarified, “You guys are my family. But venture outside of the land of leather and testosterone? Yeah, I may give that a try.”

Jughead started down the hall towards the front entrance. Toni and Sweet Pea followed, walking on either side of him. This was often how it went- they would wedge him in the middle of their conversations so he would feel included, even when he rarely had anything to add. It was sweet, really. They’d been doing it since middle school- he wondered if that would change too…

“Come on- this is a Northside high school. I bet you won’t last five minutes with those preppy cheerleaders and jocks- they’ll drive you crazy!”

“As if putting up with you idiots hasn’t given me the patience of a saint.”

“Oh, now you’re just being mean- Jug, tell her to stop being so mean.”

The three of them walked out the front doors, managing to stay in step even as throngs of teenagers barreled out, eager to start the summer.

“If you think I can make Toni do anything then I’m sorry bro, but you may, in fact, be an idiot.”

Toni laughed and looped an arm around Jughead’s shoulder.

“And that’s why I keep _you_ around. Hey, where’s Fangs?”

“He got out early- he had to pick his little brother up from daycare. He’ll meet us at the swimming hole later.”

Now that they were down the steps and onto the sidewalk, Jughead turned and took one more look at his old high school. In a few months, it would be torn down to make way for something new, though no one had heard what it would be yet. Would it be worth it? Did the promise of a brighter future justify the destruction of the past?

Sweet Pea punched his arm, interrupting his reverie.

“Dude. Where’d you go?”

“He was doing this before- off in Jughead-land, probably waxing nostalgic.”

“Well quit it- we’ve only got three months before our senior fucking year, man!” Jughead turned away just in time to Sweet Pea’s eyes twinkle with mischief, before he added, “And then the Serpents take Riverdale High- and we are gonna raise some hell.” 

* * *

Chapter 1

_I don't care what they say_

_(Ahhhh)_

_I don't care what they say_

_(Ohhhh)_

_I don't care what they say_

_I'm gonna do it anyway_

The night before the first day of her senior year, Betty Cooper barely slept. She lay awake in bed for hours, her stomach churning with anxiety. Her outfit for the next day had been laid out on the bench of her vanity, and a Morning To-Do list on her bedside table so she wouldn’t forget a thing. She had mentally prepared for a dozen different worst-case scenarios before finally drifting off around 2 am.

Her alarm went off at 6 am, and while her body screamed for just one more hour of sleep, she pulled herself out of bed and into the day.

Her mother hammered her with questions, but she had bright, agreeable answers for everything, even as she imagined stabbing Alice with a kitchen knife. Or maybe choking her with her bare hands. But she smiled at the right moments, ate a light, Alice Approved breakfast without fuss, and walked out the door. As soon as the door slammed shut behind her, she exhaled and uncurled her fingers. Her palms ached. Her heart was pounding.

A shock of red hair entered her field of vision, and she fell into the warm comfort of small talk with Archie. He spent the entire walk to school talking about himself (his trip to Chicago over the summer, new songs, football tryouts), which was perfect. She didn’t want to talk. Fifteen minutes later and his cheery disposition had cleared most of the anxiety out of her body.

“Hey, you’re welcoming some of the Southsiders right?”

She nodded, panicked for a moment and searched her memory for confirmation she had put her orientation packet in her backpack, found it, and relaxed. “Just one. He has the weirdest name- Forsythe Pendleton the Third.”

Archie laughed.

“Oh man, you might end up welcoming a 65-year-old British man to the halls of Riverdale High!”

She smiled, even though she didn’t really find the comment that funny.

It was enough for Archie though. That was the beauty of him as a friend- he took so little effort to make happy.

“I’ll see you and Vee at lunch, right?” She asked once they were inside.

“Absolutely! I’ll book our usual table.” With that, he peeled off to his first class, and Betty headed for the front office to wait for Forsythe Pendleton the Third.

While she waited, she went through her schedule for the day in her head hour by hour. She had made it to 7 pm (Finish College Application for Cornell) when a boy in a leather jacket and a crown-shaped beanie walked in. He stopped short and looked around. They’re eyes locked, and she smiled on instinct.

“Hi! Are you Forsythe?” He scowled a little but walked towards her, nonetheless.

“I go by Jughead.”

“Oh! Okay!” He was hot _. Jesus Christ_ \- she had not considered a scenario where he was this fucking _hot!_ She bit her lip as he assaulted her senses- the smell of leather and woodsmoke; the glint of his grey-blue eyes, like the ocean on a cloudy day. 

  
“Well, welcome to Riverdale High, I’m Betty Cooper and I’ll be showing you around today.” Was she blushing? It felt like she was blushing. Her face was hot. She had to look away from his face for a while, but just as she was about to, he _smiled_ and suddenly she couldn’t look away. Her knees felt like jelly.

“Well then, lead the way.” He bowed in an oddly gentlemanly gesture for someone wearing a leather jacket, all the while never breaking eye contact. For the first time in weeks, a real, genuine smile threatened to break out across her face. She rushed forward into the hall before Jughead could see it.

This had most certainly _not_ been part of her plan.

* * *

Jughead couldn’t stop staring at her. He knew it must have been creepy, but he couldn’t help it. She was so goddamn beautiful- sparkling green eyes, perfect curves, and hair like sunshine. She bounced down the hall, talking about the school, the history of the building, how the different time blocks worked, but it was all by rote. She was reading from a script in her head, but if he watched her very closely, he could see something else. She was playing the part of the girl next door (to perfection really) but something in his gut told him there was more to her.

She led him to his locker, and he took advantage of the momentary silence.

“Hey. Betty?”

“Yeah?”

“You’ve spent about, 25 minutes talking about Riverdale High- which, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely appreciate- but…what about you?”

“Me?” Her eyebrows furrowed like she didn’t understand.

“Yeah.” He leaned up against the lockers and crossed his arms. “I wanna know about you. What does Betty Cooper do for fun around here?”

She bit her lip and looked down- not for the first time either. It made him want to pull her chin up and bite that delicious looking lip for her.

“Normal stuff, I guess. I hang out with my friends, work for the school paper…and this year I’ll be…trying out for cheerleading.” The way she said those last few words- like it was something she was trying to keep quiet.

“Cheerleading, huh? I bet you’d be great at that.” She blushed and tucked an invisible strand of hair behind her ear.

“Thanks.” 

“Southside didn’t have cheerleaders…I mean, we didn’t have a football team, so it only made sense. I’ll have to swing by tryouts and see what all the fuss is about.” He tried to keep his tone light- a girl like this had to have boys throwing themselves at her feet non-stop, he didn’t want to come off like an asshole.

He couldn’t have been doing too badly though- she was still smiling.

“That would be…” The bell rang before she could finish her thought. She shook her head a little, like she had to remember where she was. “Good! I mean, if you want. I have to get to class, are you…?”

“I’m good. I can find my way from here.” He had no idea where his first class was taking place, but punctuality wasn’t exactly something he was worried about. He’d find it eventually.

“Awesome. Well…see you later, Jughead.”

_You absolutely will, Betty Cooper._


	2. Yes I Can Do This All Day

_I'm gonna cough' em up spit'em out_

_Yes I can do this all day_

_All the other things that I could be doing_

_This doesn't feel like work it's all play_

The high of meeting Jughead Jones lasts her all the way until lunch. Even as she half-heartedly takes notes during class, a part of her brain is replaying the interaction frame by frame.

_“I bet you’d be good at that.”_

Had he been flirting? It was always so hard to tell- it wasn’t as if she had many people lining up to flirt with her. Betty was well-liked, but she wouldn’t consider herself ‘popular’. Not the way Cheryl and Veronica were. Even Kevin had more social currency than she did. She was the ‘nice girl’, the one people came to for homework help or last-minute additions to a bake sale.

Which was exactly why getting on the cheerleading squad meant so much to her. It wasn’t just that the Vixens were cool- they were _sexy._ Cheryl was always pushing the envelope when it came to choreography, and since she was a Blossom, none of the faculty- not even Principle Weatherbee- raised any objections.

Last year, when Veronica had first arrived in Riverdale, one of the first things she did (after befriending Betty) was join the Vixens. She’d wanted them to do it together, but Betty had backed out at the last minute, knowing her mother would never approve. Alice saw Cheryl Blossom- and by extension, the Vixens- as the very model of depravity.

But after being with them for a few months, Veronica had a very different take.

_“It’s incredible, Bee. I mean, there’s the endorphin rush, obvi, but the whole thing is so empowering. Cheryl is a taskmaster of the most heinous variety, but she’s actually created a space where girls can safely explore expressing their sexuality. And credit where credit is due, she’s crazy protective, especially of the younger girls. If there’s even a whiff of creep from any of the football players- or anyone really-, that bitch will sniff it out and shut it down.”_

Even if she didn’t take Vee’s word on it, the proof was evident; every game, every pep rally, the Vixens would dance to whatever pop song Cheryl was obsessed with that week, and always looked like they were having the time of their lives.

They looked happy. They looked _free._ Betty wanted to see what that felt like, even if it meant lying to her mother to do so.

When the bell for lunch rang she rushed out of her Chemistry class. The reality that she would be lying to Alice about what she was doing after school today was making her queasy- she needed her friends.

They were at their usual table, just as Archie had promised; he, Veronica and Kevin all greeted her warmly as she approached, and she instantly felt better.

“Hey, beautiful! You ready to slay at tryouts this afternoon?” Veronica asked, her eyes bright with excitement. Vee had spent all of August working on an audition routine with her- one she knew would get the HBIC’s Seal of Approval. Betty nodded.

“You’ll still do it with me though, right?”

“Of course!” Archie looked confused.

“Wait, Ronnie, aren’t you already on the squad?”

“Yes, but there’s no rule that says someone trying out _has_ to perform alone. And even if there were it wouldn’t matter- if Betty needs me there for moral support, wild stallions couldn’t drag me away.” She said it with that Veronica Lodge finality that let everyone know the matter was closed.

Betty had to blink very quickly to keep back tears of appreciation. She still didn’t know what she had done to deserve a friend like Veronica. When Vee first arrived, Betty had been ready to hate her. Everything, from her mother to some unspoken Girl Code that most of the world seemed to follow, told her she was supposed to. The rich, mysterious, New York socialite against the plain vanilla milkshake girl next door; it was a tale as old as time.

It was also a tale that Veronica, upon meeting Betty, had promptly torn to shreds with her impeccably manicured fingers. And not a day went by that Betty wasn’t thankful she had.

Over the course of their Junior year, Veronica had shown Betty what real loyalty- and real love- looked like. It wasn’t the barbed wire monstrosity her mother used to keep her in line, and it wasn’t the lukewarm attention she had been pulling out of Archie for years. It wasn’t supposed to leave you feeling cold, empty, and worthless. Real love made you feel safe.

“So Betty,” Kevin leaned in, whispering in that ‘I heard a rumor’ sort of way, “What was it like giving a tour to the Southside Serpent Prince?”

Betty blinked.

“What?”

“You were showing around Jughead Jones this morning, weren’t you? I have it on very good authority that he isn’t just your average, everyday gang member- apparently, his dad is like, their leader.”

“Jughead’s not-“But she stopped herself. He’d been wearing a leather jacket, but she had been so focused on his face she hadn’t really bothered investigating it further. “Oh my god. Kevin are you sure?”

“Mmm, pretty sure…” He looked pointedly over her shoulder. She turned to see, several tables away, a group of teens in leather jackets. Here at last she could see the huge emblem stitched on the back of each one- and there, right on the edge and facing her, was Jughead.

He caught her looking and smiled- a dark little smirk that made her throat catch- before throwing her a single wink.

Betty turned back, praying that she had been the only one to see it. But based on Veronica and Kevin’s faces…

“Oh. My. _God.”_ No such luck. “Elizabeth Cooper, tell. Us. Everything.”

“Look, I didn’t realize he was a Serpent! I was just giving a tour, same as I did for Veronica last year. Only this year it happened to be this guy.”

“Wasn’t that guy’s name Forsythe?” Archie asked.

“Technically yes, but he goes by Jughead. And…I don’t know, he was cute and…sweet and…oh my god! I invited him to come watch the tryouts!”

Betty could feel the wave of panic that was about to consume her. But Veronica was beaming.

“You invited him to watch you cheer?! Betty that was brilliant!”

“How? What if he brings his friends and they cause a scene or something? Cheryl will kill me.” 

“Come on Betty, they seem like perfectly average teenagers- and while they may have collectively made some rather regrettable fashion decisions, you know better than to judge a book by its cover.”

“Veronica, come on,” Kevin interjected. “Everyone knows the Serpents are drug dealers.”

“Oh really? Because in ninth grade, ‘Everyone’”, she put the word in dramatic air quotes, “Was saying that I’d had sex with Nicholas St. Clair over Christmas Break because our families were staying at the same ski lodge. That didn’t make it true.” She turned back to Betty.

“Now Betty, real talk- do you like this guy?” Betty thought about his smile, the way he had looked at her while she was talking- like there was nothing in the world more interesting than what she had to say. She nodded.

“I think so.”

“Then we are going to table all of _this_ ,” She shot Kevin a warning look. “And focus on what’s important.”

“What’s that?”

Veronica grinned.

“Getting you a place on the Vixens- and in the process, showing anyone and everyone in that auditorium that Betty Cooper is a force to be reckoned with.” 

* * *

As Fangs used his pocketknife to carve ‘Property of the Serpents’ into their picnic table, Jughead was keeping eye on a certain blonde on the other side of the field.

“Can you believe this?” Sweet Pea marveled between mouthfuls of food. “An indoor _and_ outdoor cafeteria? And the food is actually _edible?”_

“Of course _that’s_ what wins you over about this place,” Toni said, rolling her eyes and stealing a tater tot off his tray.

Riverdale High was certainly different than what Jughead was used to, but being surrounded by Serpents- his pack- put him at ease. It was him, Toni, Sweet Pea, Fangs and Joaquin. They talked about how their first classes had been and which teachers seemed like assholes. He did his best to track the conversation, but he was also trying to figure out the dynamics of the people Betty was sitting with. 

From this distance the best he could surmise was that the dark-haired girl and the redheaded jock were probably dating- they sat very close together and at least once the brunette had laughed at something and kissed his cheek.

Suddenly a girl with insanely long hair approached them. He didn’t know much about fashion but her clothes looked expensive, and she was managing to keep her 6-inch heels from sinking into the dirt through what Jughead could only assume was dark magic.

Toni had noticed her too. She was sitting next to Jughead and leaned into him a little bit, trying to get a better look.

“ _Damn_. Check out the ginger fox.”

Sweet Pea turned around. The girl had her back to them, so all they could see was her placing her hands on her hips in what looked more like a dramatic pose than a natural gesture.

“I think she’s in my first period.” Sweet Pea said before turning back to his food. “Can’t remember her name- seemed pretty tightly wound though.”

“Her name is Cheryl Blossom.” They all looked over. It was the first thing Joaquin had said since he had sat down.

He hadn’t been a big part of their friend group in the past, but Jughead liked Joaquin well enough. He was quiet but observant; indiscriminate, kind. He had had his own group of friends before being transferred to Riverdale, now- at least during school hours- he just had the four of them. He wondered if Joaquin saw this as a disappointment or an upgrade. 

Jughead was the son of the Serpent King, and that carried weight. Ever since he was little, he’d had to deal with people trying to get in good with him- use their proximity to him to boost their own ego or get special treatment. It was the reason he kept his inner circle so small- he liked sycophants about as much as he liked getting punched in the gut.

Joaquin continued:

“She’s like, the Queen Bee? I guess? She has a twin brother, but last year he got a girl pregnant and skipped town. Apparently, she hasn’t been the same since.”

“How do you know all this?” Jughead asked.

“My tour guide was uh…very well informed. He spent like, ten minutes talking about who was dating who and how many times they had broken up.” Even as he said it, he was half smiling, like he had found the experience more endearing than annoying.

“Did he say if Cheryl had a boyfriend? Girlfriend?” Toni was in full ‘Queer Investigation’ mode now- he’d seen it before. She was, in her own words, ‘a sucker for high femmes’. 

“I don’t remember…it was a lot of information all at once.” He saw the disappointment on Toni’s face and quickly added, “I know she’s on the cheerleading squad! Like, head cheerleader, or whatever it’s called. Captain, I think?”

“Hm…” Toni mulled this over. 

“What, you gonna become a cheerleader just to find out if this girl bats for your team?” Sweet Pea joked.

“No asshole. But it’s helpful to know- thanks, Joaquin.” Joaquin smiled a little, proud he had been able to contribute to the conversation. 

Redirecting his attention to his best friend, Jughead said:

“What about instead of picking up pompoms yourself you just come and watch tryouts with me after school today?” Toni’s eyebrows raised in suspicion.

“How do _you_ know when tryouts are?” Jughead’s eyes flicked over to Betty and considered the three other guys at the table. He wanted to tell Toni all about the way he’d fallen for this total stranger like a goddamn musical protagonist- but it would have to be later.

“Do you want to come or not?”

“I mean, obviously. But-”

“Good, then it’s settled. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go find out the lunch lady’s policy on seconds.” He grabbed his tray and headed back inside.

“Ugh, dick!” Toni called after him. Jughead tried not to feel too bad- he’d explain eventually. And besides,

now that she was crushing on a cheerleader too, it was a win-win.

During his next class, he texted her to meet him behind the auditorium after the final bell.

_Toni: why not just meet inside?_

_Jughead: Bc there is no way I’m watching this thing sober. And I’d rather not stink up the auditorium with pot smoke on the first day of school. That’s much more of a last day of school activity._

_Toni: ugh, fine. that is a good idea tho._

Several mind-numbing hours later Jughead walked around the back of the school building and found Toni, leaning against the wall. There were several doors back here, but the one she was standing beside was propped open ever so slightly with a pencil. Jughead chuckled.

“You’re a genius.” She smiled and shrugged.

“Tell me something I don’t know. Like why you wanted to come to this thing at all, for starters?”

Jughead shrugged his backpack off his shoulders and sat down on the concrete. He fished around for a joint and a lighter. Toni joined him, sitting cross-legged on the ground and waited.

Two hits later and his body had released nearly all of the day's tension.

“Basically?” He said, passing her the joint, “My student guide told me she would be trying out and invited me to come. Now, normally, anything this ‘school spirit’ related would be the absolute last place I would want to be, but this girl…I can’t explain it Toni, but there’s just something about her.” 

Toni exhaled, coughing and laughing at the same time.

“Seriously? Jughead Jones, Mister ‘There’ll never be a woman as beautiful as Lauren Bacall so why even bother?’”

“Trust me, I’m as shocked as you.”

“So, you’re here to what- cheer her on?”

“Honestly T? I have no fucking clue.” Toni handed the joint back to Jughead and stood up, brushing the gravel off her pant legs.

“Well, then it’s a good fucking thing you brought me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear the Beronica was accidental....buuuut I'm not sorry. *shrug*
> 
> Next chapter will include some legit Choni, so stick around. 
> 
> Comments are love!


	3. Crazy Is What Crazy Does

_Crazy is what crazy does_

_So run the blade without the gloves_

_And if it's them then it's not you_

_And if it's black then bruise it blue_

Jughead and Toni found a spot at the top of the bleachers where they could both lean back comfortably. The crowd was small, but it was still definitely a crowd- some girls sitting in the front row ready to cheer on their friends, a handful of voyeuristic freshmen, a couple football players. Below three Vixens sat at a fold-out table, the middle one unmistakably Cheryl Blossom.

“God, her hair is unreal.” Toni murmured, awe-struck. Jughead was fully prepared for the possibility that she would spend the entire hour making moon eyes, but then for the first time, they heard Cheryl Blossom speak.

“Alright bitches! Gather!” Her voice boomed across the basketball court, and suddenly the 15 or so girls who had been scattered across it- sitting, stretching, chatting- all rushed forward to stand in a semi-circle around the table.

Jughead blinked. He had not been expecting such military-like precision.

He scanned the line-up and found Betty right at the center, her friend by her side. He grinned- now clad in a t-shirt and shorts, she was even more adorable than she’d been that morning.

“So, which one are you here for?” Toni asked.

“Ponytail, twelve o’clock.” He answered.

“Hm. She’s cute, I guess.” Her lack of enthusiasm didn’t faze him; one of the many reasons Toni and Jughead’s friendship had lasted so long was their wildly different tastes in women.

Cheryl was still addressing the group:

“…only three spots open this year and rest assured, we will be looking for nothing short of perfection. You all have your time slots- if you fail to appear before us when expected, I will assume your punctuality and dedication are not up to Vixen standards, and you will be summarily dismissed. Any questions? Good. First up: Tanya Felder.”

“Wow. She seems…” Jughead searched for a diplomatic version of what he was actually thinking. “Intense.”

Toni didn’t say anything. They ate gummy worms from Jughead’s candy stash as one by one, girls attempted to impress the vicious ice queen, and one by one they were all cut down.

Cheryl’s critiques ranged from:

“Your confidence was admirable but sadly misplaced, as you clearly have no flexibility.”

To:

“Congratulations Taylor! In all my years as Head Bitch In Charge, never before have I witnessed such _epic_ mediocrity. Relinquish your pompoms and be gone.” 

It was brutal- the high school hierarchy equivalent of a bloodbath- but Toni she was eating it up. Maybe it was the weed, maybe she had some very specific kinks that Jughead didn’t know about, regardless the result was the same.

“Oh man, this bitch is so crazy.” She said, grinning ear to ear. “I’m gonna fuck the shit out of her.”

Jughead was wondering whether or not he should wish her luck in the endeavor or try to talk her out of it- Cheryl seemed a little unhinged, and the last thing he wanted was to see Toni hurt- but suddenly his attention was needed for more immediate matters.

“Betty Cooper!”

“Here!” She hurried out onto the court, the brunette swaggering up beside her.

“Accompanied by Veronica Lodge.” Cheryl’s tone was candy apple sweet with a cyanide aftertaste. “You understand of course, Betty, that auditioning with a current Vixen will not afford you any kind of special consideration. You will be judged solely on your own talent…or lack thereof.” Betty nodded fervently.

“Of course.”

“Alright then. You may begin.” Veronica nodded to the girl working the speaker system and the room filled with the sounds of a guitar. It didn’t last long before the vocals started, and the second they did Betty and Veronica began to move.

“ _Rule number one/ Is that you gotta have fun / But baby when you’re done/ You gotta be the first to run.”_

Jughead leaned forward, hypnotized. The way she moved, the sultry expression on her face- it was like she was a totally different person. Jughead would be the first to admit he didn’t know a lot about cheerleading, but this seemed closer to a burlesque performance. Not that he was complaining. In fact, he was utterly fascinated. The routine was well choreographed; the girls moved in perfect synchronization, making what must have been difficult maneuvers look effortless. 

This was the something he had sensed earlier- power, confidence, sensuality. As she danced, the façade she had presented earlier fell away. Her innocence evaporated, her nervousness gone; she was a goddess, mysterious and unpredictable, and Jughead ached to worship at her feet.

“Damn,” Whispered Toni. “Ponytail’s got some moves.”

All too soon it was over. The music ended and the girls froze in a final dramatic pose, their backs to one another. They stayed that way for several tense seconds before Cheryl spoke.

“Well… it’s nice to see _someone_ taking these tryouts seriously. Thank you, Betty. You shall be informed of my decision by week’s end.”

* * *

Betty wanted to linger after her audition was over- maybe talk to Jughead- but she had to get home on time, and her schedule depended on her leaving as soon as her time slot was over.

Seeing him in the bleachers, knowing he was watching her- probably with that damned smirk on his face…

It should have unsettled her- weren’t girls supposed to get embarrassed and shy when guys they liked were around? But she hadn’t had time for any of that, because Cheryl and the Vixens had been watching too. She knew she’d need to give it everything she had. It was like Veronica said- this was her chance to prove that she wasn’t just the girl next door. And Betty Cooper half-assed _nothing._

Cheryl’s praise had been luke-warm at best, but compared to her reactions to most of the others it might as well have been a ticker-tape parade. Veronica was beaming with pride- she’d done well.

She went back to the locker room and packed her things before rushing out the back door. Pride bubbled up in her chest, so potent she practically floated the entire way home. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so proud of herself.

Her mother’s voice called out as she walked through the front door.

“Betty? Is that you?”

“Yeah, Mom!”

“Just in time- come on, we’re about to eat!”

Betty sat at the dinner table, set up immaculately as always. It still felt a little empty though, with Polly’s chair empty. It wasn’t so much her sister’s absence that made her sad- she knew Polly was having a blast at college- it was that Betty hadn’t been able to escape with her. Just one more year. She could make it that long…hopefully.

“How was student council?” Alice’s voice grated against Betty’s nerves, while the question itself sent sparks of panic up her spine. But she’d prepared for this.

“It was good! Mostly just a meet and greet today, but it’s a good group.”

“Oh? Who else was there?”

Betty listed off the names of a few of the people who actually were in student council- lies were always easier to accept when wrapped in truth. She kept the rest of the details of the meeting vague and focused on keeping her mouth occupied with food.

After that routine, she was _starving,_ but she fought her body’s instinct and are each bite slowly so as not to arouse suspicion.

Her parents talked shop for a while- well, Alice talked at Hal who would hum approval or disapproval depending on what he figured Alice wanted to hear.

“Oh, Betty! I completely forgot- you showed one of the new students around today, didn’t you?” Betty nodded. “Now listen, I know you were just doing your job as a student guide, but you make sure to stay away from those Southsiders from now on. Those people bring nothing but trouble.”

“Those people?” Betty asked before she could help herself.

“Yes, Betty- _those people._ ” She repeated. She knew exactly how prejudiced she sounded and she didn’t care. “They are drug dealers and thugs, and you are too trusting for your own good. I don’t want you getting wrapped up some ill-conceived charity case. It’s better for you to learn now- some people just can’t be helped.”

She should have just left it alone, but then she thought about Jughead. How guarded his eyes had been in those first few moments. He walked through the world ready for it to disappoint him, and people like Alice were all too happy to oblige. 

“You don’t even know them.” It came out angrier than she expected. She _was_ angry, but she was usually so much better at hiding it.

“I don’t need to know them! And neither do you. Right, Hal?” Betty looked back down at her plate, her fist curling at her sides.

“Right.” There was a pause before he added, “Um, honey, why don’t you go upstairs and get started on your homework? There are a few things I’d like to discuss with your mother.”

She didn’t have to be told twice. They were probably about to fight but she didn’t care. They had been fighting all summer- tonight it just happened to work in her favor. 

She grabbed her backpack and ran upstairs. Hot red anger coursed through her veins, but she was still careful not to slam her bedroom door. It was too much; her skin felt hot and she couldn’t breathe. She tore off her clothes and went into her bathroom, locking the door behind her.

What did Alice Cooper know about Southsiders? What did she know about anything? She was just a bitter, close-minded woman who thought that if she could make everything look perfect it would _be_ perfect. But it wasn’t.

_She_ wasn’t. She was angry…so angry it felt like there was something trying to eat her alive from the inside out. With tears streaming down her face, she fished under the sink for the shoebox labeled ‘Polly’s Makeup’. In it were the few things she needed to keep her mother from finding at any costs- her secret diary, her birth control pills, and a black cabaret wig.

She’d taken it out a few times since that night with Chuck and Veronica, but it never left the bathroom.

She slipped the wig onto her head and looked in the mirror.

_This_ was the Betty she needed to be right now; the one who had gotten revenge for all those girls Chuck and his friends had harassed, the one who had held a man’s life in her hands and had been ready to take it.

This was the version of herself no one- not even Alice- could touch. She gripped the cold porcelain of the sink with both hands and stared into her own eyes.

_Stop crying, Betty. You are not weak. You are going to make it through this. And one day, when they are least suspecting it, you will burn this whole place to the ground._


	4. I'm X'ed Out, Just Like Malcom

_Be the prey fear the falcon_  
_I'm the blow and you're the talcum_  
_Name is x, call me Malcolm_  
_I'm x'ed out just like Malcolm_

It didn’t take long for Jughead to find the school paper. The open door, plastered with a sign that read “Writer? Photographer? Come Join the Blue and Gold!” was a pretty dead giveaway. He was pleasantly surprised by what he found- a clean, orderly room with up to date computers, printers, even a couch. A huge bulletin board hung on the right side; it was mostly blank, except for a little banner that read ‘Have a Great Summer!’, which a beautiful girl with a blonde ponytail was currently taking down. He looked around- apart from him, she was the only one there.

“My God, I’m early for a voluntary after school activity- what have you done to me, Betty Cooper?”

At the sound of her name, the blonde turned, and her smile lit up the room.

“Jughead!” She descended from the little step ladder and put the banner aside. “I can’t believe you came!”

“Well, you pulled a bit of a disappearing act yesterday. I never got the chance to compliment your performance.”

“Sorry I…keep a pretty tight schedule.” She said with an apologetic smile. Her cheeks were turning pink- he took it as a good sign.

“I guess I’ll just have to fit myself in.” He said as he took a seat on the couch. He leaned back and nodded to the blank corkboard. “Not much to report on the second day of the semester I gather?”

“Actually,” She walked over to what had to be the Editor in Chief’s desk and grabbed a manila folder he hadn’t noticed before. “I just hadn’t gotten the chance to hang up these yet.” She handed him the folder, a self-satisfied smile playing at the corner of her lips.

The words ‘B&G Ideas’ had been written neatly across the label tab. He opened it to find at least a couple dozen sheets of paper, paperclipped together in groups along with a headline notecard. He flipped through the collection, amazed; each one had newspaper clippings, internet printouts, handwritten _and_ typed notes. 

“All these stories- Jingle-Jangle, Lodge Industries, Greendale Disappearances…did you do all this research by yourself?” She nodded.

“What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good mystery. There are quite a few of them around here- most of them the cops have given up on.” She took back the envelope and started spreading the pages out on the coffee table between them.

He was officially in love.

“And here I thought writing for the school newspaper was just waiting for news to happen and report on it after the fact.”

She looked up at him, incredulous.

“You don’t know much about investigative journalism, do you?” He smiled- she knew exactly how brilliant she was, and somehow that made her even sexier.

“Clearly not as much as I thought.” He leaned forward. “Please…enlighten me.”

She pursed her lips together like she was trying to figure out if he was making fun of her. Finally, she said,

“Good stories don’t just fall into your lap. You have to chase them.”

They’re eyes locked for a long moment. Could she tell how much he wanted her? Was it written all over is face? It had to be- he had no defense against her. His brain was draining out of his skull, and he couldn’t stop looking at her lips. Lipgloss? Chapstick? What did she taste like?

“And all these mysteries you chase…is there a special someone who gets to hear about them?” He thought she might look away, drop her gaze again. But she didn’t, and he was glad.

  
“No one’s ever really asked.” She said at last.

“Well someone is now.” He said. He glanced around the still empty room. “And seeing as you have no staff just yet, why not play hooky with me today? Let me buy you a burger- or even just a milkshake. I promise I’ll get you to wherever your schedule needs you to be afterward.”

His mind provided a delicious image of her straddled across his motorcycle and followed it up with one of her straddling _him_.

_Later,_ he told his libido. It acquiesced- but only just.

She looked at the open door, then at the clock on the wall. _Was it too soon?_ She smiled, a spark of rebellion in her eyes, and he knew he’d made the right call. This girl lived in a world of clean lines and tight restrictions, and she was desperate to break free. He was more than happy to show her the way.

Not even the sight of his motorcycle gave her pause. She took the helmet as soon as he offered it, strapping it onto her head like it was second nature.

“Have you ridden on a bike before?”

“No.” She said brightly. He laughed.

“Could have fooled me.” He revved up the engine and fought to stay focused as she pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms securely around his waist.

Jughead had been riding on motorcycles since the age of five- his father’s, his mother’s- and he’d gotten used to the sensation pretty quickly. But those first few times, he remembered it as the most magical experience in the world- like riding a dragon.

Now, with Betty wrapped around him, he felt it again. For the first time in years, he felt like he was flying.

“So, I have to ask.” Betty fiddled with the straw of her milkshake. He’d offered to order her a proper meal, but she insisted she wasn’t that hungry- meanwhile, he was well into his cheeseburger. “Why did you join the Serpents?”

He shrugged.

“I was sort of born into it. It’s a family thing- my dad he…he holds a lot of weight with them.” It wasn’t a lie exactly, but ‘my dad is the leader of a gang’ didn’t really feel like first date conversation.

“So, the whole ‘Serpent Prince’ thing…not just a rumor?”

He coughed. He should have known to expect the unexpected- and a question that direct was definitely unexpected.

He wondered for a moment if he _should_ lie, but one look at her face told him he didn’t need to. There was no judgment or fear in her expression, just curiosity, and maybe a little skepticism.

“I’m not really a fan of titles.” He managed. “There are people who think that because my father is a leader I will be too. The Serpents are my family-both figuratively and literally but.…I don’t know if I want them to be my whole life.”

He thought about some of the things he’d watched his father do over the years. The laws he’d broken, the people he’d hurt. They hadn’t been good people exactly, and if his father was to be believed they’d all had it coming, but still…

“There’s a big, beautiful world waiting outside of Riverdale,” He continued. “I want to see it. Go to college, travel…figure out where I fit in.”

He’d thought about all this before, but he realized that this was the first time he’d said any of it out loud. He hadn’t even told Toni- the Serpents were her life. To her, staying in Riverdale after graduation was a given. 

“What would you want to study?”

“Creative writing. Maybe journalism.”

“What?! Way to bury the lead Jones!” She laughed. “Who are your biggest influences?”

They talked favorite books and authors, debated the merits of fiction versus true crime. He was in the middle of a rant about Truman Capote’s legacy when her phone alarm went off. She’d set it as soon as they’d sat down- she hadn’t been kidding about that tight schedule.

“I’m sorry,” She said, “I need to get home.”

“And so, Cinderella’s horseman turned back into mice. Good thing the carriage is still intact.” She rolled her eyes but didn’t contest the comparison.

“Lead the way, good Prince.”

Since time was of the essence, he let her take point on navigation. She called directions into his ear- right here, left there- until finally, she put a hand on his shoulder.

“That’s my street,” She said. “Better park at the corner- I can walk the rest of the way.”

He’d expected this- no doubt her parents would flip if they saw their precious daughter on the back of a motorcycle with a gang member. He wasn’t going to take it personally- Betty liked him, that was all he needed- but as soon as he turned the corner, he realized that parental approval was going to be the least of their troubles.

He stopped short.

“What the…” Betty pulled off her helmet.

“Oh my god.” The bulk of the street had been cordoned off with police tape. There was an ambulance, and two Sheriff’s Department cars parked in front of a house with a red door. “No. No, no, no!”

He heard the helmet clatter on the pavement. Suddenly Betty was running towards the house, screaming, and the joy that had gotten so treacherously comfortable his chest turned to pure dread.

He left the bike and started walking towards the scene. He saw the red door open. Two men carried out a stretcher, but whoever was on it had already been covered up. The ambulance was just a formality- whoever they were bringing out of that house was already dead.

“Mom?! Dad?!” He watched as Betty pushed past one of the officers. A little group of spectators had already formed, and they watched with Jughead as an older blonde woman came out of the house and embraced Betty. She must have said something to her, because the next sound she made was unlike any he’d heard before- a guttural, anguished scream. It reverberated across the manicure lawns and snapped Jughead’s heart like it was kindling.

Someone she loved was under that sheet.

Hours passed, but it felt more like millennia. Jughead stayed with his bike. He couldn’t leave her, but at the same time, he didn’t know how welcome his presence would be.

He texted Toni that he was ok but that he probably wouldn’t get back to the Southside til late, then silenced his phone. As long as he was there to drag FP’s drunk ass out of bed the next morning, he would be fine.

The ambulance left first, eventually followed by one of the squad cars. The police tape border was taken down so cars could move through unimpeded, only to be re-assembled around the house’s perimeter. Once the sun went down, Jughead moved himself and his bike closer. Now directly across the street from the house- Betty’s house- he could see inside. If they had blinds, no one had bothered to close them. Betty and her mother were questioned by Sheriff Keller, first separately and then together. He didn’t know Betty’s mother, but he found her stone-faced demeanor unsettling, to say the least. If she was crying, he couldn’t tell from here.

It was past 10 when the Sheriff’s car finally drove away. As soon as if did Jughead was struck by how stupid he must seem, waiting to finish a date with a girl whose father had just been murdered. One by one, he saw the lights inside the house go out, and he knew it was time to go.

He stood up and began to quietly maneuver his bike back down the street. Nightfall had brought with it an eerie silence that he didn’t dare break- he was already testing his luck being in a neighborhood like this. He hadn’t made it more than a few yards when a new sound rippled through the darkness: a door, opening and shutting, then footsteps.

“Jughead?” He turned and there she was. In the moonlight, she looked exactly the same- same perfect ponytail, same soft sweater. Yet at the same time, she was totally different. Irrevocably changed by a tragedy she couldn’t have seen coming.

“Betty…I’m so sorry.” It was weak, predictable, but he didn’t know what else to say. She started shaking her head.

“No, I’m sorry.”

“What?” Her eyes were welling up with tears again.

“I…this-“ She gestured between the two of them. “Whatever this was or, was going to be- I ruined it before it even started.”

She was crying in earnest now. He abandoned his bike without a second thought.

“Betty, no, no…” He pulled her into his arms. “You didn’t ruin anything.” Her tears fell onto his neck and soaked into his t-shirt. “I’m not going anywhere. Not if you don’t want me to.”

He held her in the dark, wishing he could take her pain away.

“I have to go back.” She whispered. “I’m so tired, and my mom might wake up and check on me, but…I don’t want you to go.” 

“Do you have your phone?” She sniffed and nodded. “I’ll give you my number. You can reach me anytime- ok? Anything you need, just say the word.”

She nodded again and pulled away long enough for them to put his number in her contacts. As soon as it was done, she began wiping her face like her tears were incriminating evidence.

“Hey, look at me.” She did. He took her hand and squeezed it. “You’re going to be ok.” She smiled like it was a lie she desperately wanted to believe and nodded.

He watched her walk back into her house, through the red door the corpse of her father had been carried through just hours ago.

He barely slept that night; he wanted to be awake in case she needed to talk, but his phone stayed silent.

A week passed. She didn’t show up at school. The halls were abuzz with word of Hal Cooper’s gruesome murder- apparently, his wife had found him in the living room in a pool of his own blood. Accounts varied- some said he’d been killed with a shotgun, others said it had just been a normal gun, shot multiple times.

Alice Cooper was the prime suspect- the spouse was always the first to be checked, and word was their marriage wasn’t exactly rock-solid these days- but so far, no hard evidence had been found against her. 

He saw her friends at lunch, huddled together, probably discussing ways they might help. He wanted to go over, to ask how she was- certainly they must have heard from her. But he didn’t know them, and they didn’t know him. He was starting to wonder if the whole thing had been some weird hallucination, a waking dream.

I mean, the girl next door and a messed-up kid from the wrong side of the tracks? Maybe he’d been kidding himself.

Until one night his phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number.

_Hey Jughead. It’s Betty. Can I call you?_

_Of course._ He responded, discarding the book he’d been reading. It was late, but he rarely fell asleep before midnight.

Several heart-wrenching seconds passed before his phone lit up with an incoming call.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Jughead…I’m glad you’re awake. I’m so sorry I didn’t call sooner. The past few days have been…a lot.”

“Has anyone ever told you, you apologize far too much?”

Her laugh was small, but he counted it, nonetheless.

“Before you said if I needed anything…”

“I meant it.” He finished. “Anything.” He wanted to see her again, he didn’t much care what it took.

She took a deep breath before saying,

“Someone murdered my father Jughead. I want your help finding out who.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh snap! Not quite the death you were expecting huh? 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!


End file.
